Compassion in Practice: Addressing Burnout Among Muslim Nurses in Contemporary Healthcare Settings
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63950/gshh.2026.2.2.43Keywords:
Burnout, Muslim nurses, Compassion, Resilience, Islamic copingAbstract
Introduction: Burnout is a significant occupational hazard for nurses, undermining wellbeing and care quality. Muslim nurses face compounded challenges from professional duties and Islamic values of compassion (rahmah) and excellence (ihsan), with sustained suffering exposure increasing burnout and compassion fatigue risk.
Methods: This narrative review examined peer-reviewed articles, books, and reports on burnout, compassionate practice, and faith-based resilience. Searches across PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar used keywords including "burnout in nursing," "Islamic coping," and "compassion fatigue." Sources were selected for relevance, rigour, and alignment with Islamic perspectives.
Synthesis: Burnout manifests as emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation, and reduced accomplishment. Faith-based coping, prayer (salat), remembrance (dhikr), fasting, and tawakkul build resilience, while community support reinforces collective strength. However, Muslim nurses face cultural expectations, religious obligations in secular settings, and discrimination, heightening burnout vulnerability.
Conclusion: Holistic strategies recognising Muslim nurses' spiritual and cultural realities are urgently needed. Healthcare systems must integrate faith-sensitive supports with evidence-based interventions to protect well-being and sustain compassionate care.
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All data analysed in this review are available in the referenced publications. No new datasets were generated.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Sodimu JO, Aminu S
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